a. (sb.) Path. Also 8–9 siphilitic. [ad. mod.L. syphiliticus (Sauvages), f. SYPHILIS; the suffix -itic is the adj. formative of -ITIS and is strictly inappropriate here.] Of, pertaining to, caused by, or affected with syphilis.
Syphilitic lobelia, a rendering of Lobelia syphilitica, so called as being used as a remedy for syphilis.
1786. Abercrombie, Arrangem., in Gard. Assist., 59. Siphilitic blue lobelia.
1804. Med. Jrnl., XII. 505. This affection of his throat might have been owing to some syphilitic virus, which had long lain dormant in the system.
1835–6. Todd’s Cycl. Anat., I. 184/1. Syphilitic warts … have generally a broad base.
1846. G. E. Day, trans. Simon’s Anim. Chem., II. 59. Meggenhofen found that the milk of a syphilitic woman reddened tincture of litmus.
1862. M. Hopkins, Hawaii, 372. A syphilitic ward in the new Queen’s Hospital at Honolulu.
1897. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., II. 1135. Such syphilitic livers … are often immobile on deep inspiration owing to adhesions.
B. sb. A person affected with syphilis.
1881. Physician & Surgeon, III. 138. Whether a syphilitic should ever have professional consent to marry.
1904. Brit. Med. Jrnl., 10 Sept., Epit. Curr. Med. Lit., 36. The blood … of syphilitics who have been treated with mercury.
